Hiring platforms
The best platforms to hire developers, by how much you want to do yourself
The best platform to hire a developer depends on one question: how much of the search do you want to do yourself? Job boards and freelance marketplaces are cheap to start but leave the screening to you. Vetted networks and recruiters screen for you but charge more, often on every hour or every month. A self-serve marketplace like Arca.ph sits in between: profiles are free to view, your own AI assistant searches and sorts them, and you pay one fee, once, only if you hire.
Below are the five main types of platform, what each one costs according to its own published pages, what you can check before you interview, and a four-question checklist for choosing.
What are the main types of developer hiring platform?
What does each platform charge?
Only figures each company publishes on its own pages are used here.
- Job boards. Wellfound says you can "post jobs free," with paid Job Ads "from $200" for top-of-results placement and paid AI sourcing plans on top (Wellfound pricing). The cost is low; the screening is all yours.
- Freelance marketplaces. Upwork's help center says clients on its free Basic plan pay a Client Marketplace Fee of up to 7.99% on payments to freelancers, with a lower rate for some clients who pay by bank account (Upwork Help). You pay that fee for as long as you pay the freelancer through Upwork.
- Vetted networks. Arc lists freelance hires at "$15 - $110+" per hour and full-time hires at "20% of the annual salary" (Arc pricing). Toptal charges "a flat monthly subscription fee of $79" if you go ahead with talent matching, invoices "twice a month," and doesn't publish hourly rates (Toptal FAQ).
- Recruiters and staffing firms. Terms vary by firm. The common models are a placement fee on hire or a monthly markup on the developer's pay. See Success fee vs hourly markup for how to compare the two.
- Arca.ph. Profiles are free to view. On the marketplace you pay one success fee of 15% of first-year pay, charged once, only if you hire someone Arca.ph introduced within 1 year of the introduction. Every hire includes a 3-month replacement (Arca.ph pricing). Proctored tests are paid and optional.
For a side-by-side of published fees, see Developer platform pricing.
What can you verify before the first interview?
This is where platforms differ most, and where most "best platforms" lists stop short.
- On a job board, you see what the applicant chose to write. Every check happens after you reply.
- On a freelance marketplace, you see ratings and past jobs on the platform. Those help, but they reflect past clients' projects, not your stack.
- On a vetted network, the platform has screened the developer, but you usually see its conclusion rather than the raw results.
- On Arca.ph, you can see the evidence itself. Profiles show pay per month, the hours the developer can work, English level, and test scores when one is already on file. After an introduction you can ask for proctored tests: an English screening, a thinking-skills test, a coding test with no AI allowed, a 2-hour build project with AI allowed, the Fire Drill (live pair programming on a real-world problem), and recorded reference checks. A real person watches. See Proctored tests.
Where does Arca.ph fit?
Arca.ph is a marketplace of vetted remote software engineers from around the world. It is built for teams that want to run the search themselves, with help from their own AI assistant:
- Get started and create an account with your work email.
- Ask your assistant to search. Grok Bot, Claude or ChatGPT searches the profiles and sorts them against your brief. Your assistant builds the shortlist; Arca.ph doesn't shortlist for you.
- Ask for an introduction. Arca.ph reaches out. If the developer says yes, that's an introduction. Ask for proctored tests if you want more proof.
- Hire and pay once. 15% of first-year pay, once. For example, a developer paid $3,000 a month earns $36,000 in the first year, so the fee is $5,400. Pay on Arca.ph is quoted per month, up to about $3,000 a month.
If you'd rather hand off the search, Done-for-you is 35% of first-year pay, charged once on hire.
How do I choose the right platform?
Answer these four questions:
- What's your budget model? If you want to avoid paying a margin every month, look for a one-time fee. If the work is a short project, an hourly marketplace may cost less overall.
- How long is the role? For a few weeks of work, a freelance marketplace fits. For a long-term, full-time role, a one-time placement or success fee usually works out cheaper than an ongoing markup.
- Do you need test evidence before you interview? If yes, choose a platform where you can see or request proctored results, not just ratings or a recruiter's summary.
- Who does the screening? If you have the time, or an AI assistant that can do the sorting, a self-serve marketplace keeps costs down. If you don't, a vetted network, recruiter or Done-for-you service does it for you at a higher price.
Get started or Sign in. You can also compare options on Alternatives.
FAQ
What are the best platforms to hire developers?
It depends on how much screening you want to do. Job boards like LinkedIn Jobs and Wellfound are cheapest but leave screening to you. Upwork suits short projects. Toptal and Arc screen for you at a higher price. Arca.ph lets your own AI assistant search free profiles and charges one fee, once, only if you hire.
Where should I hire a software developer for a startup?
Start with how long you need them. For a short project, a freelance marketplace is usually simplest. For a long-term hire on a tight budget, look for free profiles, proof you can check before interviewing, and a one-time fee instead of a monthly markup.
Which platforms charge a one-time fee instead of an ongoing markup?
Arc publishes a full-time placement fee of 20% of annual salary. Arca.ph charges 15% of first-year pay, once, on hire. Freelance marketplaces and hourly vetted networks charge on every payment or every hour.
Can my AI assistant search developer profiles for me?
On Arca.ph, yes. Grok Bot, Claude or ChatGPT can search and sort profiles against your brief. You still interview and decide who to hire.
How do I check a developer's skills before hiring?
Look for proctored results instead of self-reported skills: a coding test with no AI allowed, a 2-hour build project with AI allowed, or a live pair-programming session. Then use the interview to dig into how they worked.
Is it free to look at developers on Arca.ph?
Yes. Profiles are free to view. Proctored tests are paid and optional, and the 15% fee applies only if you hire someone Arca.ph introduced.
Sources
- Arc, Pricing: https://arc.dev/pricing
- Toptal, FAQ: https://www.toptal.com/faq
- Upwork Help, "What is the Client Marketplace Fee?": https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4660220468499-What-is-the-Client-Marketplace-Fee
- Wellfound, Hiring plans and pricing: https://wellfound.com/recruit/pricing